Some additional rail services will be laid on ahead of Scotland’s decisive game against Ukraine at Hampden on Wednesday, but football fans will be unlikely to travel outside of Glasgow after the match.
ScotRail announced a temporary timetable last week, cancelling 700 services and resulting in last trains across the country being brought forward.
And while there will be additional services between Glasgow and Mount Florida, the station nearest the national stadium, final services to most of Scotland’s major cities will leave before the game even kicks off.
The latest service will be to Edinburgh, due to depart Glasgow Queen Street station at 10.15pm, making it highly unlikely fans will be able to make the train.
The final train to both Aberdeen and Dundee will leave Glasgow at 7.45pm, according to the ScotRail app, while the latest anyone can return to Dumfries would be 7.07pm.
Those hoping to head back to Inverness will be unable to do so after 7.07pm and those hoping to return to Perth will need to make the 7.37pm service.
The newly nationalised rail operator has been hit by a pay dispute with train drivers union Aslef, which has meant staff have refused to work on their off days.
A pay deal, which would increase wages by 4.2%, will be put to members by the operator in hopes of ending the dispute.
Phil Campbell, the head of customer operations at ScotRail, urged supporters going to the game to plan their journeys ahead of time.
“We know this is a massive match for the Scottish national team and we are looking forward to helping supporters travel to Hampden to play their part in the occasion,” he said.
“It’s also an honour to welcome Ukraine fans to Glasgow.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to support fans travelling to the game by adding additional services where we can and more seats to trains where possible.
“The temporary timetable will still be in place, so it is important that fans plan ahead to make sure they are aware of their options for both getting into the city, and for completing their journey home.”
A win on Wednesday would see Steve Clarke’s team advance to the World Cup qualifier play-off final against Wales, just one step away from booking their place to Qatar later this year.
Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said the lack of services after the game was a “real slap in the face for thousands of Tartan Army fans heading for Scotland’s biggest game in over two decades on Wednesday night”.
He added: “Those planning to travel between our two biggest cities now know it will be impossible to get home that night, especially if the game goes to extra time and penalties.
“Only on Thursday John Swinney told Parliament he was confident additional services were going to be provided for fans.”
The Deputy First Minister – while standing in for Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions last week – said: “Obviously, we want to see more services in place to deal with the Ukraine match and I’m very confident that ScotRail will have in place additional services to ensure that the specific requirements of accessing Hampden will be addressed as part of that process and there will be announcements made in due course.”
Mr Simpson added: “Alongside his SNP colleagues, he has serious questions to answer as to why this will now not occur.
“The Scottish Conservatives first raised the growing concern over a lack of services for this big match ten days ago, but SNP Ministers have badly let the Tartan Army down with their inaction.”
